Abstract: A beverage system and methods for preparing flavored beverages are provided. In one embodiment, the beverage system includes a housing, a flavorant system, and a processor. The housing includes a mixing chamber configured to operably couple to a fluid reservoir and pressurized gas source. The processor is disposed in the housing and can be configured to cause, in response to at least one input, the separate dispensing of a fluid and a flavorant into a receptacle. The processor can also cause the delivery of gas from the pressurized gas source to the mixing chamber, where it can be used to form a carbonated fluid.

Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer (50) has an ink droplet generator (52) and a controller (58) that varies a modulating voltage applied to the ink droplet generator (52) and measures corresponding breakup times of a jet of ink into ink droplets to obtain a portion of a characteristic of breakup time against modulating voltage. The controller (58) obtains a variation range, varies the modulating voltage over the variation range to obtain the portion of the characteristic, calculates a gradient from the portion of the characteristic, compares the gradient with a predetermined gradient and, depending on whether the calculated gradient is less than or greater than the predetermined gradient, generates an adjusted variation range that is displaced in a first sense or a second, opposite sense, respectively, relative to the variation range.

Abstract: A flavorant container for use in a beverage system is provided. The flavorant container can be retained by a beverage system to dispense flavorant, which can be mixed with carbonated and/or uncarbonated water. In one embodiment, the flavorant container includes a container, a cap, and one or more features located on the cap. The features can include an inlet that is able to receive pressurized air, and an outlet that is able to dispense a flavorant when the inlet receives the pressurized air. The features can also include at least one raised protrusion that is capable of being retained by a complimentary pattern located on a beverage system in order to properly seat the flavorant container in the beverage system.

Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer 2 has a drop generator 16, an ink source 7, an ink feed line 17 delivering ink from the ink source 7 to the drop generator 16, a solvent source 8, a solvent feed line 35 delivering solvent from the solvent source 8 to the drop generator 16, a flush valve 37 controlling a flow of solvent through the solvent feed line 35, a source of negative pressure 24, a wash valve 40 connecting the ink feed line 17 to the source of negative pressure 24, and a controller controlling the valves 37, 40, the solvent feed line 35 and the ink feed line 17 forming a junction where ink and solvent meet at an interface, and the controller, when shutting down the printer 2, controls the wash valve 40 and flush valve 37 to draw solvent into the ink feed line 17 from the solvent feed line 35 to draw the interface along the ink feed line 17 away from the drop generator 16.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products may store, in a distributed cache, a rule associated with a plurality of accounts in a Real-Time Payments (RTP) network, the rule being stored in association with account data associated with the plurality of accounts; receive an account level exclusion directive associated with the account; store, in the distributed cache, the account level exclusion directive in association with the account; receive transaction data associated with a transaction in the RTP network between the account and another account; retrieve, from the distributed cache, the rule, the account level exclusion directive, and the account data associated with the account; exclude, based on the account level exclusion directive, use of the rule for processing the transaction; and process, without applying the rule, the transaction in the RTP network.

Abstract: A continuous inkjet printer (50) has an ink droplet generator (52) and a controller (58) that varies a modulating voltage applied to the ink droplet generator (52) and measures corresponding breakup times of a jet of ink into ink droplets to obtain a portion of a characteristic of breakup time against modulating voltage. The controller (58) obtains a variation range, varies the modulating voltage over the variation range to obtain the portion of the characteristic, calculates a gradient from the portion of the characteristic, compares the gradient with a predetermined gradient and, depending on whether the calculated gradient is less than or greater than the predetermined gradient, generates an adjusted variation range that is displaced in a first sense or a second, opposite sense, respectively, relative to the variation range.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for safely and efficiently transferring cargo and freight packed in ULD containers directly between an airport freight terminal and freight aircraft. An enclosed freightway is designed to provide a direct connection between the freight terminal and aircraft cargo doors. The enclosed freightway is structured and sized to move ULD containers automatically or manually between freight aircraft and freight terminals. Different freightway configurations enable direct connection between the freight terminal and freight aircraft main cargo door when freight aircraft are driven by electric taxi drive systems or aircraft engines and parked in nose-in orientations and when freight aircraft are driven by electric taxi drive systems and parked in parallel orientations at the freight terminal. An alternative embodiment provides direct connections between freight aircraft cargo doors and interior loading docks for aircraft driven with electric taxi drive systems.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products may store, in a distributed cache, a rule associated with a plurality of accounts in a Real-Time Payments (RTP) network, the rule being stored in association with account data associated with the plurality of accounts; receive an account level exclusion directive associated with the account; store, in the distributed cache, the account level exclusion directive in association with the account; receive transaction data associated with a transaction in the RTP network between the account and another account; retrieve, from the distributed cache, the rule, the account level exclusion directive, and the account data associated with the account; exclude, based on the account level exclusion directive, use of the rule for processing the transaction; and process, without applying the rule, the transaction in the RTP network.

Abstract: Provided are a system, method, and computer program product for network anomaly detection. The method includes determining a plurality of nested groups based on event data associated with a plurality of communications in a computer network. The method also includes generating display data configured to cause a display of a computing device to show a first graphical representation of the event data including a plurality of nested graphical nodes. The method further includes receiving new event data associated with a plurality of new communications in the computer network in a subsequent time period and generating new display data configured to cause the display to show a new graphical representation of the new event data. The method further includes determining an anomalous graphical node based at least partly on a size of the anomalous graphical node being increased in the new graphical representation relative to the first graphical representation.

Abstract: A flavorant container for use in a beverage system is provided. The flavorant container can be retained by a beverage system to dispense flavorant, which can be mixed with carbonated and/or uncarbonated water. In one embodiment, the flavorant container includes a container, a cap, and one or more features located on the cap. The features can include an inlet that is able to receive pressurized air, and an outlet that is able to dispense a flavorant when the inlet receives the pressurized air. The features can also include at least one raised protrusion that is capable of being retained by a complimentary pattern located on a beverage system in order to properly seat the flavorant container in the beverage system.

Abstract: A beverage system and methods for preparing flavored beverages are provided. In one embodiment, the beverage system includes a housing, a flavorant system, and a processor. The housing includes a mixing chamber configured to operably couple to a fluid reservoir and pressurized gas source. The processor is disposed in the housing and can be configured to cause, in response to at least one input, the separate dispensing of a fluid and a flavorant into a receptacle. The processor can also cause the delivery of gas from the pressurized gas source to the mixing chamber, where it can be used to form a carbonated fluid.

Abstract: Provided are a system, method, and computer program product for network anomaly detection. The method includes receiving event data associated with a plurality of events in a computer network. The method also includes determining nested groups of the event data representing tiers of an operational hierarchy. The method further includes generating display data to show a graphical representation of the event including a plurality of nested graphical nodes and at least one spline. Each graphical node is associated with a group or a computer node, each graphical node encompasses and/or is encompassed by another graphical node, a size of each graphical node is proportional to an aggregated parameter value of events associated therewith, each spline connects at least two graphical nodes and includes a curve that passes through a common graphical node, and each spline is associated with a communication between at least two computer nodes.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing device and methods for dispensing beverages are provided. In one embodiment, the beverage dispensing device includes a housing, a carbonation assembly, a carriage assembly, and one or more flavorant containers. The beverage dispensing device can also include a controller with a UI to allow a user to customize aspects of a beverage. These customizable aspects can include fluid volume, carbonation level, flavorant type, and/or flavorant amount. Based on the customized aspects of the beverage, the beverage dispensing device can dispense an amount of carbonated or uncarbonated water, and can dispense a type and amount of flavorant. Illustrative embodiments of flavorant containers are also provided.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products may store, in a distributed cache, a rule associated with a plurality of accounts in a Real-Time Payments (RTP) network, the rule being stored in association with account data associated with the plurality of accounts; receive an account level exclusion directive associated with the account; store, in the distributed cache, the account level exclusion directive in association with the account; receive transaction data associated with a transaction in the RTP network between the account and another account; retrieve, from the distributed cache, the rule, the account level exclusion directive, and the account data associated with the account; exclude, based on the account level exclusion directive, use of the rule for processing the transaction; and process, without applying the rule, the transaction in the RTP network.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method are provided for real time monitoring of flaps, landing gears, or tail skids to determine safe taxi, takeoff, and flight readiness. Monitoring units, including scanning LiDAR devices combined with cameras or sensors, mounted in aircraft exterior locations produce a stream of meshed data that is securely transmitted to a processing system to generate a real time visual display of the flaps, landing gears, or tail skid for communication to aircraft pilots to ensure safe aircraft taxi, takeoff, and flight readiness. Actual flap position alignment with optimal flap setting, proper retraction and extension positions of landing gears, and tail skid condition is ensured. Safety of aircraft taxi, takeoff and flight and airport operations are improved when the present system and method are used to prevent incidents related to misaligned flaps and improperly positioned landing gears or tail skids.

Abstract: A beverage dispensing device and methods for dispensing beverages are provided. In one embodiment, the beverage dispensing device includes a housing, a carbonation assembly, a carriage assembly, and one or more flavorant containers. The beverage dispensing device can also include a controller with a UI to allow a user to customize aspects of a beverage. These customizable aspects can include fluid volume, carbonation level, flavorant type, and/or flavorant amount. Based on the customized aspects of the beverage, the beverage dispensing device can dispense an amount of carbonated or uncarbonated water, and can dispense a type and amount of flavorant. Illustrative embodiments of flavorant containers are also provided.

Abstract: A method for generating a crash-consistent backup of a source volume includes designating certain blocks of an operating source volume to be copied to a target volume, copying the designated blocks from the source volume to the target volume; initiating a time-based tracking process and detecting writes to blocks of the source volume. Using the time-based tracking process to maintain a time-ordered list of blocks that are written to during the copying of blocks to the target volume and to determine when the blocks on the target volume are in a sane state that permits a crash-consistent backup. After the designated blocks are copied, using the time-ordered list to continue copying blocks to the target volume. After the time-tracking process determines the blocks on the target volume are crash consistent (i.e., in a sane state), a snapshot can be transferred to a backup volume and time-tagged as a crash-consistent backup.

Abstract: Described methods and systems for copying a source volume to a target volume that include a combination of concurrent copying and a copy-on-write (COW) technique that improves the reliability of the backup process and requires fewer resources during a given backup instance than the processes of the prior art.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses and non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediums are disclosed for generating AR self-portraits or “AR selfies.” In an embodiment, a method comprises: capturing, by a first camera of a mobile device, live image data, the live image data including an image of a subject in a physical, real-world environment; receiving, by a depth sensor of the mobile device, depth data indicating a distance of the subject from the camera in the physical, real-world environment; receiving, by one or more motion sensors of the mobile device, motion data indicating at least an orientation of the first camera in the physical, real-world environment; generating a virtual camera transform based on the motion data, the camera transform for determining an orientation of a virtual camera in a virtual environment; and generating a composite image data, using the image data, a matte and virtual background content selected based on the virtual camera orientation.